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Tashkent, Uzbekistan
There are many fun things to do and attractions to visit in Tashkent. Even if
you wouldn’t have much time, here are my personal top 5 places and activities to
do in Tashkent: 1. Admire the Islamic architecture of the Hazrat Imam Complex
and see the oldest Koran in the world 2. Go shopping or watch people at the
Chorsu Bazaar 3. Have lunch at the Central Asian Plov Center 4. Ride the
Tashkent metro and photograph some of the world’s most beautiful metro stations
5. Go for a stroll around Amir Timur Square where you’ll also be able to visit
Hotel Uzbekistan and the Amir Timur Museum nearby For a complete one-day
Tashkent itinerary, that also includes these top 5 places, check out my Complete
City Guide to Tashkent.
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Samarkand, Uzbekistan
There are daily 3 trains leaving in the morning from Tashkent to Samarkand. If
you book the Afrosiyob train in the morning, you’ll arrive in Samarkand in just
a bit over 2 hours. This way, you’ll still be able to enjoy the afternoon in
Samarkand, which will be enough time to already start visiting the highlights of
this magnificent Silk Road city. Once you arrive at the train station, you can
take a taxi to your hotel/hostel. The historic center of Samarkand is about 5 km
from the train station. The standard rate to get from the train station to the
historic center of Samarkand by taxi is 5000 UZS. Never get into a taxi before
agreeing on the price!
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Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan
What are the things to do in Shahrisabz? Shahrisabz has some impressive
monuments that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The most famous place in
Shahrisabz are the gate arches of the Ak-Saray Palace, the only remains of the
palace that was built for Amir Timur. Other places of interest in Shahrisabz are
the Dorut Tilovat Complex with the Kok Gumbaz mosque and the Dorus Siyadat
Complex which contains the tomb of Timur’s eldest son. Shahrisabz is a small
city so you can easily see all the main attractions in 2 hours. You could leave
in the early morning and be back in Samarkand in the late afternoon to spend
more time visiting places around the city.
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Bukhara, Uzbekistan
The train journey between Samarkand and Bukhara isn’t very long – 1,5 hours with
the Afrosiyob train and little bit less than 2,5 hours with the Sharq train –
and there are trains leaving from Samarkand in the morning, early afternoon and
evening. I suggest taking the train in the morning so you have nearly 2 full
days to spend in Bukhara. The train station of Bukhara is located in the new
part of the city. You can take a taxi from the train station to the historic
center of Bukhara. It’s a 30-minute drive and while the taxi drivers will try
and charge 50.000 UZS, know that you shouldn’t pay more than 25.000 UZS. Agree
on the price before you get in the taxi!
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Khiva, Uzbekistan
There’s only one train per day that goes directly from Bukhara to Khiva. This
train usually leaves around noon and arrives in Khiva around 6:00 pm. This means
that you can explore Bukhara during sunrise, which I highly recommend if you’re
into photography! Here are the top 4 places in Khiva you should definitely see:
1. The Kalta Minor minaret 2. The Islam Khodja minaret – definitely climb to the
top for a panoramic view over Khiva! 3. The Juma mosque 4. The Kuhna Ark
Fortress – climb the watchtower to see the sunset over Khiva!
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan